Treading Water
by vegetasbubble
Summary: Draco comes to Hermione with a startling request and confession. Written for the 2013-otterandferret exchange on Dreamwidth and Archive of Our Own. Thanks so much for letting me be involved with the fest.


**Title: **Treading Water

**Author:** vegetasbubble

**Summary:** Draco comes to Hermione with a startling request and confession.

**Rated**: M

**Prompt**: While working at the Ministry, Hermione is assigned to Lucius Malfoy's parole hearing and subsequent review. She is approached by Draco.

**Authors Notes:** Written for the 2013-otterandferret exchange on Dreamwidth and Archive of Our Own. Thanks so much for letting me be involved with the fest.

He's standing before me, eyes drawn in a narrow look as I hold my files closer to my chest.

"Did you hear me, Granger?" he barks and I can't help but feel a little intimidated. Maybe the years had been hard for him, as they had been for all of us.

Seven years had gone by since the fall of the Dark Lord and although most of us were recovering, it was harder for some. Each of us had our own ways of dealing.

George Weasley didn't have a single mirror in his house and would cover his face whenever he went past one. His now wife, Angelia Johnson, told me last week over coffee that he still had nightmares as he watched his twin die in front of him. Neville Longbottom had fled to America to find himself and in doing so he had retained what the Muggles called "an addiction to crack." I was sent overseas to bring back his body after he had been found in an alleyway in New York. I guess not everyone could take the stress of War.

"Granger, snap out of your stupid daydream and listen to me," Draco Malfoy barked again, making my thoughts change from that of a scared twenty-five year old woman to that of stone-hearted, Ministry employee Hermione Granger.

"What is you problem Malfoy!" I shouted at him and sidestepped, making my way down the hallway but the ferret obviously had other ideas and followed me.

"My fathers hearing is coming up in two weeks and I need you to find evidence to keep him in Azkaban." His words stopped me in the hall and although I knew that dozens of eyes had witnessed the display Malfoy was putting on, not so many ears had heard his request. Did I just hear right? Did Draco Malfoy want me to keep his father in prison? "Granger? You in there! Hello?"

I nodded and turned to face him, shocked that he had asked such a thing. "You're actually asking this of me?" I questioned him, in a voice I never thought I would use towards Malfoy. The voice of worry I used with those I cared for.

"Well yeah, or else I wouldn't have tracked you down at this God forsaken place. Just glad Potter and Weasley are out of the country or I'm sure they would have hexed me by now." Malfoy was right in that regard. Kingsley had sent them to Romania to question a wizard there who was found to have Dark Items in his possession. I looked up at the man who had caused so much pain when we were younger and saw the obvious signs of distress.

"Malfoy, do you need to talk about something?" I asked him, noticing the roots of his hair were slightly grey. How was he this stressed? From what Harry had told me the man had the perfect life and was engaged to be married. I watched as he looked around and grabbed my hand, pulled me into the nearest office – which happened to be a spare one not used by anyone at that time. He closed the door behind us and sighed heavily, running his hands through his blond hair and coming to stand before me. The files I held were taken from my arms and placed on the desk behind us.

"My father needs to stay in prison," Malfoy muttered, shame crossing his face, "and my mother cannot know that I came to you."

"But you father has been in prison for five years of seven. I've read his file and he's been a model prisoner, unlike most. Why should he stay in?"

"Because he'll kill my mother when he gets out." The words stung the moment they left his mouth. Again he ran his hands through his hair. "Granger, you have to do this."

"Why? Why will he kill your mother? Malfoy, if you don't have proof then I can't do anything."

"I'm the fucking proof you twit," he all but shouted. His face was red and I watched as he pulled his robe off and placed it over the files. "He figured it out, figured it all out and he's going to kill her as soon as he's released and he'll probably kill me as well."

"Malfoy, what the hell is going on?" I finally asked, gripping his arm and making him stop pacing. In all honesty he was making me dizzy.

"I'm not my fathers son," he confessed and his eyes seemed angry. Draco Malfoy was not his father's son?

"Um, come again? Sorry Malfoy, but you'll have to explain this to me a little more."

Obviously a nervous habit he ran his hands through his hair again, which I hadn't noticed by now, fell to his shoulders in locks of beautiful golden. The grey was only noticeable when you looked really closely. "A year after my father went away I turned twenty one, the legal age required to take over Malfoy Industries and the Malfoy estate. When this happened, my mother summoned our Gringots goblin to go over the contracts. We had to do a blood purity test when the contract was signed and low and behold, my blood wouldn't work."

"What do you mean, blood purity test?"

"The goblins have this stupid old test to see if you are who you say you are. I'm still a pureblood, but I'm not a Malfoy."

He leaned against the desk, his long Quidditch tones body straining under the pressure. I had forgotten that Malfoy had recently signed a contract with the Puddlemere United and was rumoured to take over captaincy the next season. "How can that be?"

"My mother had an affair when Lucius was off with the Dark Lord. Nine months later, presto, I'm born." He turned and eyed me then, his eyes flicking to my hands, which were wrapped around myself. "Weasley finally did it then," he said, nodding towards my left hand where the simple diamond ring lay, "asked you?" I nodded and stuffed my hands into my robes.

"Malfoy, I can't just tell the tribunal that they can't release your father because of your mothers infidelity. They will want cold hard proof," I said, watching as he stalked towards me. He was too close now and even though my head said run away and forget everything that has happened, my feet wouldn't move. I held my head up, facing him head on in case he did anything.

Raising one hand, he rested it on my shoulder, the other reaching down to touch my waist. "You know Granger, even though you were of non-magical blood and were the most annoying person I had ever met, I still thought you may have been quite fuckable." At his words I knew then I had to leave but the pressure of his soft lips on mine made me melt and his hands cupped my face.

I struggled for a minute before my body gave into his touches, especially when he pulled my robe off and threw it across the room. He pushed us up against a wall and reached a hand down to lift my black skirt and slid my panties to the side. No, I wanted to scream, no, only Ron can touch me there, only Ron will love me, but the words were held in my throat as he entered two fingers and pleasured me in a way that Ron never had.

I was no virgin and although we were getting older, Ron was never one for new things. A quick blowjob here and there and missionary sex was all I ever had with Ron and although the orgasms were few and far between I still loved Ron, he was my best friend and we had gone through so much together. Malfoy twisted his fingers in a scissor like movement, snapping me from my thoughts. "Stop thinking of Weasley, Granger," he snapped at me and attacked my neck with kisses and licks, "I'm the one touching you here and by the wetness I feel, I have a feeling you are enjoying it, yes?"

I moaned gently, hoping that he wouldn't hear it and although I knew he had, I didn't care. His mouth found mine again as he entered a third finger, pressing and thrusting harder and harder until I shuddered at the fact that I just had an orgasm given to me by Draco Malfoy. "Bend over the desk," he whispered in my ear and pushed me towards and even though my head once again said run, I did as he said. I leaned myself over the desk, skirt up and panties half down as I heard his belt and pants hit the ground. The next minute I was filled to the hilt and Malfoy was fucking and thrusting into me from behind, a position I had never been in.

He slapped my ass then, called me a "Good girl," and asked if I liked that he was fucking me, that he was fucking someone else's woman and I groaned out a "yes" and it was in that instant that I realised that this was my disorder. I loved Ron but Draco Malfoy was my fucking disorder that I couldn't live without. As he fucked me harder and harder, his cock hitting places Ron never had, I couldn't help but moan and mummer as he did so. The man was large and thick and filled me to the brim. I wondered if Astoria, his fiancée, felt the same way.

"Oh shit," I hissed as he continued to thrust, "Draco… Draco stop… we're both engaged."

"So what!" he groaned grabbing my hair and pulling me up, "Tell me you don't like this Granger. Tell me you don't like that I'm filling you in ways Weasley never can. Tell me!" I groaned again, not in pain though I think I may be in the morning, but in absolute pleasure. "Tell me!"

"Yes…," I moaned out as he spanked me again and I felt his balls tighten, "Yes Draco… I love being fucked by you," I whispered, "I love that you fill me, that you fuck me in ways I've never been fucked before," I finished, as he groaned heavily and continued to thrust. He roared out as he came and I couldn't help but feel the same pleasure he did at exactly the same time. He quivered behind me as the last of his waves of pleasure left his body, slowly pulling out and helping me pull my panties and skirt up. I turned and was surprised to find myself in his arms.

"Please Granger," he whispered and I couldn't help but wonder if he was asking for his father or for me. The next thing I knew he was dressed and out of the room before I could say a word. I left the office soon afterwards and was surprised to run into Harry and Ron in the hallway. They said they were called back to give their statements about Lucius Malfoy and it was then that I hissed, "Oh shit" and headed towards my office, Harry and Ron shouting after me.

In the end, Lucius had been released due to good behaviour and the statements that Harry and Ron had given. Though he was a complete ass to all of us, Harry had said that he had had sessions with Malfoy senior and could not see any future instances that may cause harm to anyone. He was released without his wand and was instructed to use no wand on word that should he, he would immediately be returned to Azkaban. I had tried to find something, anything to keep him in prison, but it hadn't worked. Draco and Narcissa had been in the gallery when the verdict was read and I could see Draco's eyes narrow in anger and hurt, hurt that I hadn't been able to help him.

He had left the room with his mother, ignoring all the reporters who wanted a story and although I had called out to him, he had simply pulled his mother along as they strode out of the Ministry. Lucius Malfoy was free and after I had one final sit down with the man, he was released to the world.

A week later I found a newspaper on my desk with the headline, "Malfoy Senior kills wife and self," and I burst into tears. He was right, Draco was right and I hadn't been able to stop this from happening. As I read the article that started that Narcissa was killed first and Lucius had then killed himself after writing his son a simple "You are not my son" letter, I couldn't help but feel for Draco. The article then went on to say that the funeral for Narcissa would be held the next day while Lucius was buried privately, at the behest of his son.

The next day I made my way to the funeral where I spotted a small gathering of people standing on a hill by the graveyard. Draco was standing with a dark haired woman, who I noticed as Astoria Greengrass, his future wife, and other friends and family. After the funeral, Draco stayed in front of the grave, Astoria kissing his cheek gently before moving off to give him some time. I made my way over to him then, slipped my hand into his and welcomed the small squeeze I got in return.

"Draco," I whispered, "I'm so sorry. I tried to look for something, but I couldn't."

"Its too late now," he said, squeezing my hand again, "and at least this way, he can't hurt her anymore." I nodded and leaned my head against his arm. "This can't happen, Hermione," he whispered, and I realised that was the first time had had ever spoken my first name, "us. As much as I would like it to, we just can't." I nodded again and stayed in silence as he had his final goodbyes with his mother.

Eventually, he removed his hand from mine, kissed my forehead and walked off to join Astoria and his friends. As I stood there in the graveyard that also held some of my close friends who we had lost in the War and others since due to their stress what had happened I couldn't help but let my tears flow.

**~Fin**

**ANs:** I hope you enjoyed the story. Comments and feedback are loved.


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